Unforeseen Outcomes
by TheDimensionOfWords
Summary: Ginny comes to Cho's rescue aka "pretending to be your bff because you looked VERY uncomfortable with that person at the bar hitting on you" AU with a romantic time jump ending.


**Warning for very lightly implied sex/nudity. Also creepy dude not listening to being told to buzz off.**

The pub with a name she couldn't recall was crowded, and Cho, first feeling the high of catching the winning Snitch for the Harpies, was now quickly feeling uncomfortable. Fan and team members were all gathered and she wanted to be reminded of the Ravenclaw common room after a win, but all she found when she looked around were unfamiliar faces and the smell of cheap booze. It was kind of like growing up.

Spotting here and there her teammates, all looking comfortable and busy entertaining a group of friends or fans, she found herself sitting to one side of the bar, nursed her pint. Cho was just stating to relax, people watching and listening absently to the radio that was near her head behind the bar, when a man's chest suddenly swaggered into her face.

Before she could even say a word he was too close for comfort, leaning over her with a hand on her bar stool a thumb having the nerve to brush her thigh. She jerked away, "Excuse me, could you move away?"

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" slurred the words. "Can't take a little compliment? You look lonely all the way over here."

Cho was suddenly very aware of how isolated she was. "Remove your hand." She said in a firm voice though. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

"Hey now don't be a bitc"- and whatever foul continuation of what he was going to say was stopped by a happy squeal and him being brushed aside by another person.

"Oh Merlin I have been looking for you everywhere!" gushed a mass of red hair that Cho quickly realized was Ginny Weasley. Cho hadn't been waiting for her and actually hadn't seen the other woman for over a year. In a lower voice though Ginny continued. "Let me help save you from this creep."

The relief that filled Cho was nearly as heady as her earlier adrenaline rush and she quickly played along. "Me too! Thank Merlin you found me!" She threw her arms around Ginny in a hug, which Ginny quickly reciprocated, before pulling back.

Looping her arm through Cho's Ginny proceeded to pull her through the bar, leaving mister creep far behind. Ginny began to slow but Cho took to leading so that they left the pub behind them and entered a beautiful summer evening.

"Sorry, I just need to get out," Cho said, letting go of Ginny's arm.

The other woman smiled brightly at her, red hair shining under a street lamp. "No problem." As a silence threatened settling around them, Ginny fought it off as well. "You played amazingly, by the way."

"You were at the game?" Cho asked, blushing a little at the compliment.

"Yeah, Quidditch correspondent for the Prophet at your service," Ginny gave a bow and a wink, her charming smile never faltering.

Cho felt a little sinking in her stomach though. "Do you want an interview with me?"

Ginny quickly realized that Cho was worried she was trying to use her and the smile vanished, "Oh no! Well yes, but that's not why I helped you. You looked like you could use a friend."

Cho recalled this was the girl who was able to be a friend to Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom, and she smiled a little bashfully. "Sorry for thinking otherwise. I'm just beat."

"It's forgotten," Ginny assured and Cho was relieved the grin was back.

"I should head home," Cho admitted. "But I feel bad pulling you away from the pub."

They both looked back towards it, with its loud noises of peculiar human pass times. "It's totally fine," Ginny shrugged. "I'm not really sure why I came, to be honest."

"Me neither," Cho concurred and they met eyes only to chuckle. Cho found herself saying, "If you want, I can make it up to you with a glass of wine at my place?"

Ginny seemed surprised, but only a moment. "That sounds lovely actually."

"Everything I say has to be off the record though," Cho found herself teasing, looping her arm back through Ginny's so she could apparate them both.

"Yes ma'am," Ginny concurred and with a pop, they were off.

(Three Months Later)

Cho stretched, the morning sun warming her through the light sheets. Rolling over she found Ginny's bare back, hunched as she did last minute edits on the report on the latest Harpies game. Cho admired that back, muscled somewhere between a chaser and a seeker, freckles making the most beautiful constellations. Ginny had cut her hair short after an argument with her mum and while Cho had mourned the loss a bit, it meant no waterfall of copper fire was blocking her view from such a beautiful back. Plus, she found the short fuzz fun to run her fingers through.

"What are you looking at?" mused Ginny, her voice still sleepy.

"I thought you needed coffee before you did any editing?" Cho asked innocently instead.

"Not enough time to make it," Ginny sighed mournfully. "These need to be on the editors' desk in fifteen minutes."

"You going to work naked?" Cho asked, moving to stand. She padded about what had quickly become their room (and no longer just hers), opened a drawer to pull out an outfit for Ginny. Placing it beside her and throwing on pants, loose trousers and a t-shirt herself Cho went to see if she could make a quick thing of coffee. And with a bit of magic that came in handy when making a quick caffeine pickup before heading to a game, she pressed a traveling mug into Ginny's hand as she hurried past to floo to work a few minutes later and got a hasty peck on the cheek for her troubles.

This was not what Cho ever expected happening after meeting that night in the bar, but she sure wasn't going to complain.


End file.
